


StrangerVille

by Wolfgirl19



Series: Knox: A Sims Wingfic Series [4]
Category: The Sims (Video Games)
Genre: Certain stuff about post-StrangerVille are based on personal headcanons, Friendship, Gen, Post-StrangerVille Story, Reunions, Wingfic, at least no coarse language like the author usually uses, use of the word "hell"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29567268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfgirl19/pseuds/Wolfgirl19
Summary: While vacationing in StrangerVille, Knox has an unexpected reunion with Erwin. Tension ensues when Erwin's paranoia gets the better of him.
Relationships: Knox Greenburg & Erwin Pries
Series: Knox: A Sims Wingfic Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057451





	StrangerVille

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, an update! Hope you guys enjoy!

It was during a solo vacation to the desert town of StrangerVille when Knox and Erwin had their unexpected reunion.

Knox was simply exploring the the town the morning after his arrival when he saw the familiar redhead, this time wearing a vest adorned with pins and a colander wrapped with lights on his head, sitting at a picnic bench in front of the small library that stood in the center of town.

"Hey Erwin!" Knox shouted, waving a hand in the air to get his attention.

Erwin noticed, watching him with confusion before recognizing him. He stood up and ran towards Knox, a smile on his face.

"It's you!" Erwin exclaimed. "It's really you! And in my hometown!"

"It's me, alright. And on vacation."

"Really? It's been forever since someone came to vacation here in StrangerVille."

Knox gave a good look around his surroundings, see there weren't any of the trademark purple plant growths that made the town go viral online.

"Weird question, Erwin, but aren't there suppose to be strange plant growths around here?"

"About that, you won't find any, all of them disappearing after the incident."

"Incident?"

Erwin gave a cautionary glance. "It's better if we discuss what happened a year ago at my place."

"Why?" Knox asked, getting slightly suspicious at Erwin's sudden secrecy. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you when we get there."

Erwin led Knox back to his small, green mobile home within the local trailer park, rushing Knox inside as he slammed the door shut, not before making sure no one followed them. Knox looked around the room, barely any furniture save for the bed, dining table, and kitchenette. What got Knox's attention was the desk with the many computer screens and monitors, newspapers and files with a large, red CONFIDENTIAL stamp scattered on the floor beneath the desk.

"Make yourself at home," Erwin said, interrupting Knox's observation of the room.

Knox sat at the dining table as Erwin dug through the stuffed fridge, digging out two soda cans and handing one of them to Knox as he took his seat across from him.

"So, are you gonna tell me what happened?" Knox asked.

"Right. I'll warn you now that you'll think I'm crazy for what I'm about to tell you."

"Erwin, you're talking to someone who's home is currently haunted by specters and now lives with a skeleton maid, so nothing you say won't be hard to believe."

"If you say so," Erwin said with doubt. "To begin, you've already heard about the plant growths. But have you heard about how this town had to be quarantined by the government after that strange storm?"

"Is this about the Mother Plant incident?"

Erwin stared at Knox wide eyed, his mind racing to figure out how Knox knew of the Mother Plant.

"How'd you know?" Erwin questioned.

"Well, it was all over the news after an anonymous source sent in footage of four unknown figures fighting whatever space flora the Mother Plant was after infiltrating the lower levels of the local lab. Not to mention that the mayor and a few government officials in legal hot water for what happened were given a slap on the wrist because they were either rich or had someone to bail them out."

Erwin looked relieved. "Good. I thought you were a spy or something."

"Why would I be?"

"Uh, nothing."

An awkward silence filled the room until Erwin spoke again.

"Anyway, yeah, the Mother Plant's defeat is the reason there aren't any of those plants around. Without her alive, the spores she released to produce those plants and possess humans ceases to exist. I mean, sure, someone probably has some live spore samples locked away in a lab somewhere, but otherwise they shouldn't be a potentially world threatening issue anymore."

Knox noticed how Erwin knew a lot about the Mother Plant, wondering if he was one of the four figures who defeated her.

"Erwin, did you defeat the Mother Plant?"

"I, uh, yes and no."

"What does that even mean, Erwin?"

"I was the one who just supplied the real hero of StrangerVille with the gear needed to discover and defeat her, but I did at least join the final battle as my way of thanking them for figuring out that something was in fact wrong with this town."

"And where are they now?"

"Without giving too much away for safety reasons, she's currently trying to live a normal life without drawing too much attention to herself."

"So this person is a she?" Knox asked.

Erwin had his hands over his mouth for saying too much, at least not blurting out that it was Alice Martin, whom he befriended after defeating the Mother Plant.

"While I may have slipped up there," Erwin admitted. "I won't add more info for safety reasons."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't get it, Knox. There's people who would want nothing more than to make someone's life a living hell just for going places they weren't suppose to go, seeing things they weren't meant to see, or stumbling upon a horrible secret that could result in a world wide catastrophe if it got out. So the only option you have when this kind of thing happens is to hide yourself from the eyes of the government or any other powerful organization."

"Like Landgraab Industries?" Knox suggested.

"Exactly, especially since they're owned by a powerful family with its fair share of secrets that could cost them everything if they were revealed to the public." Erwin gave a puzzled look once he realized what Knox said, getting suspicious. "Wait, how would you know that?"

It was Knox's turn to realize he's said too much. "An educated guess?" he nervously said.

"But someone like yourself wouldn't say something like that, let alone get what I was talking about." Erwin stood up to lean over the table, his face close to Knox's. This situation reminded Knox of a TV detective when they were close to getting a statement out of a suspect. "Is there something you're not telling me, Knox?"

Knox got up from his chair, slowly backing away to the front door, not keeping his sight off of Erwin.

"No, it's nothing," he lied, watching anxiously at how Erwin was staring at him, looking determined to get whatever Knox kept secret out of him. 

"You know what?" Knox began. "I think I need some fresh air. And don't you worry, I'll totally be right back."

Erwin lunged as Knox opened the door and nearly tripped on the steps as he ran outside, Erwin landing on his face from his target moving away. 

Knox ran down the sidewalk, pushing people out of the way as he went, ignoring their yells and angry comments. He thought he lost Erwin when he heard the sound of a bicycle behind him, briefly looking back to see Erwin riding after him on his bike, the same one he nearly ran him over with back at Foxbury. Thankfully Knox didn't have to worry about Erwin catching up since he was the faster of the two, running with superhuman speed to create distance between them, Erwin struggling to keep up the chase. Knox paid no attention to if Erwin was still behind him nor the change in surroundings as he ran, his only goal was to evade the redhead if he wanted to keep him from discovering his wings.

He ran until he noticed the tall, orange-red rock formations and plateaus were the only things around him and the worn highway he stood on.

"Good, I'm no longer in town," Knox said to himself. "Maybe if I fly up to the top of one of these-"

He was cut off by the sound of a car screeching behind him, turning around and jumping out of the way before Erwin could hit him with his small car. He stood up from where he landed as Erwin got out of the car, lunging at Knox again. This time he tackled Knox onto the red desert dirt, Knox getting the redhead off of him with a kick to the stomach. Erwin backed away as he wrapped his arms around the hurt area, Knox getting up again and held his hands up, doing his best to appear non-threatening.

"I don't know what your problem is, Erwin, but can we settle this without fighting?" 

"You're clearly hiding something from me," Erwin accused. "And friends don't hide secrets from one another."

"Why would I, a self-proclaimed hippie and eco-warrior, be hiding something from you?"

"You running away and kicking me in the stomach when I tackled you was a good indicator. As for the running, not many people in SimNation have superhuman speed besides the vampire population, and so far nothing says you're one of them."

Knox decided he should just tell Erwin the truth, seeing for himself how determined he was to find the truth to anything no matter what.

"Alright, I'll tell you the truth of what I am, but on one condition: you don't tell anyone what I'm about to show you."

"Are you an alien in disguise this whole time?" Erwin asked excitedly. "Cause if you are, that would be so cool."

"Nope. Even weirder than that."

Erwin wanted to elaborate, but was unable to say anything as Knox allowed his wings to spread out of his jacket.

Erwin's jaw dropped at the sight of the large, feathered wings on Knox's back, admiring their color of brown with grey streaks. Knox picked up on his reaction.

"Cool, aren't they?" he bragged.

Erwin nodded in response, his mouth still hung open as if his jaw wanted to fall off.

Knox was forced to pull back his wings as the roar of a semi-truck approached, the duo getting out of the way to let it pass them. Silence was the only thing between them as they watched it drive farther away.

"So, you have wings on your back," Erwin said, breaking the silence.

"Yep. No doubts about it."

"Is it related to Landgraab Industries? Just asking, since you did bring them up in our earlier conversation." 

"I don't even remember to be honest," Knox replied. "But I do have vague memories of escaping a lab owned by their sister company, Landgraab Genetics, as a kid."

Erwin's eyes lit up. "Landgraab Genetics? I know them! Or at least heard of the rumors of them hiding experiments in hybridization from the public. And you Knox are living, breathing evidence of said experiments, not to mention proof that one can make half-human hybrids." Erwin acted hyper as a kid on a sugar high as he continued. "Maybe if we present you to the world as evidence of them imprisoning humans for experimentation purposes, we can-"

"No!" Knox shouted, Erwin jump-scared by Knox's sudden outburst. "I mean, no," Knox said more calmly. "As much as I want to expose Landgraab Genetics for their actions, I'd rather not do it at this moment."

"But why?" Erwin questioned. "Don't you want to everyone involved brought to justice for experimenting on those like you against their will?"

"Yes, but look at me. Do I look like I'm capable of dealing with the ensuing fallout that'll come from exposing them?"

"What does that mean?"

"It's like you said, Erwin. There's people out there who makes others lives a living hell just for exposing a dark secret they tried to keep under wraps. Trust me, the Landgraabs look like the types who'll do anything drastic should some dark secret related to their many companies, conglomerates, and branches be out in the open. A risk I rather not take lest I or even my moms suffer the ensuing consequences. So, no, I'd rather keep my family and myself safe than be harassed and stalked for the rest of my life."

"So you do get it, then," Erwin said. "You truly get why some folks like my friend have to hide themselves."

"Ding ding ding, that's correct," Knox joked.

"Really? A game show joke?" came Erwin's unimpressed voice.

"Oh there's more where that came from, but I'm saving the good ones for another time."

It was then the sky was becoming darker, stars barely able to shine in the sky.

"It's getting late," Erwin commented. "We need to drive back to town."

"Agreed."

"Do you have somewhere to stay, though?"

"I've got a vacation rental near that trailer park if that counts, but thanks for the offer."

"No problem. If you need anything else, or a place to hide out from snooping individuals, you know where to find me."

"Thanks Erwin, but I'm fine for now."

They drove back to town, passing the time by chatting about what they did before the unexpected reunion. Knox listened as Erwin told him that one time back in Foxbury where a series of weird coincidences had lead to another student's Servo bot to believe the microwaves were sentient and enslaved, attempting a take over of the campus. The bot's revolution immediately failed since microwaves weren't sentient or able to move around. Erwin finished by quipping,

"Only in Foxbury, folks."


End file.
